The Season of Sneezin' is Well Underway

If you suffer from allergies, Dr. Rabya Mian has news you’d probably rather not hear.

“This year is being predicted as one of the worst compared to the previous 40,” she said.

Mian, a board certified allergist and immunologist with Winghaven-based , said this season’s wild cycling of moisture, heat and cold have created a dynamic that could bring about a miserable season of runny noses and watery eyes for those with sensitivities.

Mian notes that this is prime time for allergy sufferers, not that there’s ever a slow time.

“People in Missouri never get a break,” she said. “Starting around Valentine’s Day we have trees that start pollinating in February and March. April, May and the early part of June are for the grasses.”

Mold becomes an issue in summertime, and by Labor Day weeds begin their pollination cycle causing itchy eyes and coughs throughout the area.

Even the cold weather doesn’t bring relief for some.

“In winter everyone is cooped up indoors with a lot of pets,” she said. “If you have allergies to dust mites, you will perhaps have symptoms.”

This time of year, Mian recommends a few simple tips to keep the sneezing to a minimum.

“Early morning hours are the worst for pollinating trees,” she said, “Which is why if you have any outdoor activities such as running or jogging scheduled, it would be best to do it in the later part of the day.”

More important, though, is to seek help from a professional in the field.

“The best strategy is to first identify your allergen triggers,” Mian said. “Come to see your allergist, get skin tested. It is a very simple procedure that can be done in the office and involves no needles. Thirty minutes later, you walk out knowing what your allergen triggers are, whether it’s trees, grasses, molds or animal dander.”

“Once you know that, there are things you can do in your environment, in your home or in terms of medication,” she added.

Mian advises area residents to be on the lookout for symptoms of allergic asthma such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. She recalls cases in which individuals suffer with allergies for years while trying to self-medicate.

“Sometimes I see patients who have had allergy symptoms for over a decade and have not been diagnosed,” she said. “They’ve been treating themselves on over-the-counter medicines and have not gone to an allergist and been started on the correct medicines.”

Though she said it shouldn’t substitute for a consultation with the allergist, a trip to the pharmacy provides more variety than ever before.

“Now we have a lot of medicines that are over-the-counter that previously used to be prescription, so you do have the opportunity to utilize those medicines and see if they will make a difference for you,” she said. “However, many of those that are very helpful are still by prescription including many of the nose sprays.”

If all else fails, immunotherapy may be the answer, Mian said. Gateway provides cluster allergen immunotherapy. Mian said she is unaware of anyone else in the state offering it.

“It means you get more vaccines with each visit, so the time it takes for you to see benefits is much faster--within weeks, as opposed to eight months to a year with conventional allergen immunotherapy.”

Mian, 35, is in her second year in business at Winghaven, a community she enjoys serving. It was a good feeling she got early on when she was trying to decide where to set up shop.

“There were a couple options that I could look into, however, when I drove out here it was just such a beautiful area,” she said. “Lush green yards, white picket fences--I noticed just walking on the street there were a lot of younger people, and since I was board certified and trained in both pediatric and adult allergies, I thought that this would be the best place to start my practice.”

Mian and Dr. William Johnson, Gateway’s other physician, deal not only with asthma and seasonal allergies but also eczema, food allergies and allergic rhinitis.

“We’re there to help relieve your allergy symptoms,” said Mian who believes she sees about 400-500 patients a year. “If you’ve been living with them over the past few years or past few months, there is no reason why you should have to suffer longer.”

Mian said her patients often bring in new clients, frequently family members. While most of her patients are within Winghaven or O’Fallon, she sees business from as far away as South County.

“I may start off seeing a child with eczema,” she said. “They have siblings who have asthma, and then the mother or father might say ‘Oh, I have a shellfish allergy' or 'My wife has asthma.’”

“A few weeks down the road, you might see their grandparents coming in with allergies,” she said.